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How to Size an Evaporative Cooler

For those living in hot, dry areas, a swamp cooler can provide effective and energy-efficient cooling. These devices lower temperatures by combining the natural of evaporation with a simple air-moving system. Generally speaking, warm air is pulled through moist pads where it is cooled by evaporation and circulated throughout the air. As this occurs, temperatures can be lowered by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

When choosing an evaporative cooler, a few crucial considerations should be kept in mind, particularly environmental conditions. Because evaporative coolers rely on the process of evaporation to cool the air, they will only be effective in hot, arid climates. Moreover, unlike air conditioners which require a closed environment, evaporative coolers require some sort of fresh air in order to function properly.

However, as long as your environment fits the above criteria, a swamp cooler can help you stay cool and comfortable in the summer heat. The map below illustrates the different parts of the United States in which swamp coolers are most effective (region A). To an extent, region B would also benefit from a swamp cooler (though the cooling capacity will be lower), but if you live in region C, a portable air conditioner will be better suited for your needs.

The next step to choosing an evaporative cooler is to find a correctly sized unit. Like air conditioners, evaporative coolers need to be the right size in order to adequately cool a room. When it comes to choosing a portable air conditioner, one of the most important factors to take into account is the model's BTU rating.

This measurement describes the power and cooling capacity, and the higher the BTU value, the stronger the air conditioner. Furthermore, a portable air conditioner with too many BTUs will cycle off too quickly, and a unit without an insufficient number of BTUs will not adequately cool a room.

However, unlike air conditioners which rely on BTUs as a means of measuring cooling efficiency, the output of evaporative coolers is rated by CFMs. This measurement essentially describes the cubic feet per minute of air that the swamp cooler can blow into your home, and whether you're cooling a single room or entire home, a basic formula exists for determining the proper size swamp cooler you need.